There's nothing better than staying up really late only to watch your team lose against the team and player you dislike the most. What's even worse is forcing yourself to root for another player you dislike because he happens to be wearing a Sunsjersey. The new guys were missing in action tonight and while Marcin Gortat got praise for calling out his teammates days ago, I would look at my stat sheet and overall performance tonight before I make such bold statements again.

I wrote on the game preview this morning that we could not afford the Lakers bench to play well. That's exactly what they did. Matt Barnes, that Brown guy with the girl name and Steve Blakewere able to spark the Lakers during important stretches of the game. Phil Jackson was able to rest Kobe to set up what would be the Suns 3rd quarter collapse that would prove to be too much to overcome.

The Suns played hard, they competed and seemed like they wanted it but that's not enough to beat the current champs. Again the Lakers do what they do best when they play us: expose our lack of size, rebounding and showing the world in national tv how bad our defense really is.

The Suns seem to have fallen in a trend where they only play 3 quarters in no particular order. They try to fight back but can't get stops and rebounds in crunch time. There's nothing worse than an offensive rebound late in the game. It's like a kick in the nuts and it just takes the air out of you. The Suns played good enough defense to force bad shots but loose balls seemed to fall in Lakers hands all the time.

Let's talk after the jump.

Do the Lakers ever have a road game? I mean, MVP chants for Kobe at the line? People cheering for a Shannon Brown dunk?

Fortunately Jared Dudley came to play tonight. He was officially on fire and helped the Suns overcome a 12 point deficit in th 2nd quarter. He showed everything he had tonight, pull up jumpers, put backs, three point shots, crazy reverse lay ups. He was te bright spot for the Suns tonight.

Losing sucks. Like we saw in the comments section in today's game preview, it affects some of us a little bit more than others. But after watching Vince Carterjoke around with Kobe towards the end of the game I'm sure Vince doesn't let it get to him. I can't expect him to care as much as Grant or Steve because he just got here but at least be a pro and have some respect towards your teammates who are clearly frustraded.

Robin Lopezlooks like a hunched old man trying to run with kids. This is not the player who dominated and was so important to this team last year. He looks lost and can't keep up. The Gortat-Lopez experiment failed as both couldn't get anything going on the offensive end while getting killed on the boards by Odom, Bynum and Gasol.

The Suns rallied in the fourth but weren't able to get stops. It all comes down to defense and rebounding and the Suns suck at both.

Tough loss. They put up a fight but it wasn't enough. That seems to be the trend nowadays.

[Note by Seth Pollack, 01/06/11 12:26 AM MST ]

Los Angeles Lakers Dominate Phoenix Suns On The Glass In 99-95 Win - SB Nation Arizona"You can bring here Dwight Howard -- I don't care who you want to bring, you can bring Bill Russell -- if five guys aren't going to box out and five guys aren't going to put a body on the other player then then we're always going to lose rebounding...That situation sometimes that people reaching over the top, over ours heads and we don't do anything about it so we've just got to play tougher, that's all," Suns center Marcin Gortat said.

Who could he be talking about?

Game Notes

1st Qtr

A REALLY large man wearing a Gasol jersey is standing in front of me blocking out the entire game. I will check back in if he sits

Suns defended that lane cut really well

Both Carter and Hill have hit mid-range jumpers

Bynum gets two offensive rebounds away from Lopez even though Robin had inside position. Gortat talking to him about it. Fun

Ron Artest attacks Vince off the dribble and scores

Suns just running really simple curls for Grant and Vince using Robin and Marcin as screeners. No pick and roll. No Nash dribble penetration

Stupid foul from Robin

Good job by Gortat to break up that lob pass to Bynum

Now that was a nice little side screen and pop by Vince and Robin

Nash has missed on easy shot and made one crazy rainbow...

Crowd LOVED Grant Hill getting by Kobe with a cross over. Me too

So far, so good. 14-11 Suns at the 6:05 mark. Defense looking pretty good

That at least was a good hard foul by Robin but he should have never let Bynum get that position on him. That's two, in comes Frye. Odom in for Gasol as well

I was just saying that the Suns killed Bynum on the pick and roll in the playoffs and on cue Nash/Gortat kill Bynum on the pick and roll

Kobe hitting shots early

Nice steal in the lane there by Vince...see, I can say nice things about him

Blake and Brown in for Koke and Fisher

Lakers fans are standing and cheering....that's always annoying as fuck

9-0 run for LA. Gentry forced to call time out to quiet the crowd

Frye getting killed by Odom on the glass...that just proves that the reality show isn't a distraction for Lamar...and that Frye needs to get his ass in gear

3rd foul on Odom trying to pick Dudley from behind (pause). Kobe back in

Blake with the three, Dudley can't answer. It's a game of inches...or feet...maybe meters

Luke Walton!!

Bad pass by Grant. He had Dudley open for a sec but the bounce pass was in slow motion

Dudley, your hero of the game (OReb putback)

Dudley, your hero of the game (three pointer)

Remember the good ole days when Luke Walton was an important part of the Lakers team?

Dudley and Carter watch the ball fall and Artest just picks it up...and then runs right over Nash. So much about that play is typical

I have to pee but there's 2 min left in the half. I am going to try and man-up and stick it out. Wish me luck

Wait, Lakers have only scored 10 points in 10 minutes?

Dudley, your hero of the game (three pointer) That's 19 points now for JB off the bench

50-49, Suns

Heather Cox doing the Jared Dudley interview...love that

3rd Qtr

Lakers went 7-19 in the 2nd quarter. I think that's some defense right there. Right? I'm not sure I've seen enough to actually identify it in the wild

Btw, when you hold off peeing for a long time it takes forever to go. Or is that just an old man thing? I don't remember. You kids take note of these things now so in 20 years you can remember how it was

Vince Carter was jealous of Dudley, so he hit a shot. Hey, whatever it takes

Sweet move by Nash to ditch Kobe but then Gortat missed the wide open 3 footer

Not a great start to the half. 61-55

Robin not looking good. Suns doing ok when Bynum and Gasol not on the floor together but when they are...ugh

Time out Gentry. Suns can't afford to get down 12 again. Frye back in for Robin...hits a three

That wasn't good defense as much as lucky defense...still a stop

Oh Channing, just shoot the ball. Don't hesitate. Remember that time a few weeks ago you have 7 three's and you said you were determined to shoot the ball every time it touched your hands? Do that

4th foul on Bynum

Violet Palmer T's Frye...probably a good foul call. The T was a bit quick

Great D by Gortat on Gasol there on that face up

66-62, Suns. Fisher T'd up. Cheap call, he barely shoved Gortat

There you go, Vince. Attack!

4th foul on VC. Dudley coming back in so an upgrade on offense

Nash getting some open looks but not hitting them all. I thought he was supposed to be perfect every night

It doesn't look like the Suns are going to give up 120 points tonight....that's good

71-67, Lakers

Another good stop by Gortat on Gasol. I am like the way that match up looks. Too bad Robin can't defend Bynum...or anyone really right now

Eff U, Matt Barnes and your stupid baby feet neck tattoo

Lamar Odom is really a very good basketball player

80-73, Lakers

4th Qtr

The Suns need a really good six minutes from the bench here

MP for three

Dragic needs to abuse Blake

Bynum abuses Frye...that's Channing Abuse. Stop Channing Abuse

Gentry in a heated discussion with his players who somehow botched that play

Dudley, the hero, missed two FTAs

Well done, Goran

Lamar fell hard after that layup. Still down. Could be a wrist or arm. Looking at his left arm

Odom back in after time out...not to wish harm on anyone, but Suns could have used him on the bench

Dudley iso'd on Bynum pounds the ball for a while and then turns it over

Suns in a zone. It worked well

84-78, Lakers. 9:15

Damn, Goran needed that one to fall

Barnes airballed three right to Odom under the rim. Damn

Dragic three...there you go. Stay aggressive

Lakers really helping Suns zone by missing shots

Dragic loses a jump ball to Blake. White guys can jump

Bynum is just so big

Good aggressive move by Warrick to attack Bynum and hang a 5th foul on him

Suns need an offensive explosion in this game but they've not shown the ability to go on a sustained run at all

Lakers go small w/ Odom at the five

It would be super if Carter somehow took over this game...not holding my breath

90-82, Lakers. Time out Suns. Time for Nash to come back in

Suns bench was -1 over that 6:00 minute stretch. They needed more

Somehow Odom failed to score over Nash from 5 feet

Grant starting to look human...missing shots and what not. Hard to chase Kobe all night and still have offense

YES! Grant HILL!!! BAMF!!!

92-88, Suns. 3:10

Suns getting killed on the boards, 42-29. Yup

Pretty good defense by Dudley, Kobe misses but Lakers get OReb. Point made

Carter wide open transition three. 92-91, Lakers. 2:00

Artest in for Barnes. Not sure that helps LA or not

See, that was one of those go-to guy shots that Carter has to make. He didn't